Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-10-28
ALEXANDER HAMILTON,
History of u Picture in Possession of a
Cincinnatian.
Bloody History Of the Weehawken
Duelin@ Ground and the En-
counter With Burr.

a historical portrait, invested with
pathetic interest, is IN the possession of
the Hon. William Means, President of
the Metropolitan National Bank of Gin
cinnati. 1t is a portrait of General Alex
ander Hamilton, presented by his son,
the late John c. Hamilton, Esq, to Mr..
Means in 1869.
This was the 'little son" with whom
General Hamilton slept the night before
the fatal duel with Aaron Burr; the son
who said his evering prayer-the Lords
Prayer st his fathers knee and then
fell asleep next to his fathers aching,
loving heart-the son who lived to be the
distinguished author of "a History of
the Republic of the United States of
America as Traced in the Writings of
Alexander Hamilton and His Contempo-
raries."
THE DUEL. GROUND AT wEEHAwKEN,
Has an awful historical interest. Its To-
cation, now nearly destroyed by the con-
struction of a railroad, was or the New
Jersey shore, opposite New York, two
and one-half miles above Hoboken, where
the rocks rise almost perpendicularly
about $50 feet above the Hudson. Under
these frowning heights, about twenty
feet above the water, on a grassy shelf
about six feet wide and eleven PAGES long
reached by an almost inaccessible fight
of steps-was the duel ground. The old
cedar which sheltered the plateau when
Hamilton and Burr fought stood until
1870. The sandstone bowlder against
which Hamilton fell was about the same
time removed to the top of the hill, where
it was TO be sem in 1874.
Fourteen duels were fought at Wee
hawken within fifty years-the first in
1893, the last is 1845, when two men
fought whose names are now forgotten.
1t was farce, for the seconds had loaded
the pistols with cork.
Six of the fourteen we're political 6uels
Colonel Burr fought the first duel upon
this spot September 2, 1899, with John B.
Church, who was brother-in-law of Gen.
Hamilton, and sympathized with him in
his dislike of Colonel Burr. 1t was the
first political duel. Shots were exchanged,
Church's ball passing through Burr's
coat. Then Church made an apology &C
ceptable to Burr's second. The princi-
pals SHOOK hands and returned to New
York.
The next was also political duel be-
tween Eacker, sym pathizer with Colonel
Burr, and Price, friend of Gen. Hamil
ton. They exchanged four shots without
effect, on Sunday, November %, 1901,
when reconciliation took place, Price
remarking that Eaker was ''such a damned
lath of fellow that he might shoot all
day to no purpose"
Price was also the companion friend of
Philip Hamilton, the oldest son of Gen.
Hamilton. The affair betwesn Price and
Eacker ended, tho latter challenged
Philip Hamilton. This duel grew out of
the same transaction which gave origin
to the one between Price and Eacker.
They fought on Monday, November %,
1901, at three O'Clock in the afternoon.
At the command young Hamilton, in
obedience to his fathers request, reserv-
ed his fire. as did Eacker, who had deter
mined to wait for Hamilton's fire. A
minute or more elapsed. Both then
leveled their pistols. Eacker's ball enter
ed Hamilton's side. He died the next
morning.
De Witt Clinton, friend of Hamilton,
and John Swartwout, friend of Barr,
fought next. They exchanged five shots,
two taking effect ani slightly wounding
Swartwout, both in the left leg below the
knee. SwartwOut insisted upon another
round, but Clinton declined to fight lon
ger.
81 am sorry have hurt you so much"
said Clinton to Mr.. Swartwout, who was
sitting upon a stone, bleeding. Then
turning to Colonel Smith, his second, he
said: = don't want to hurt him, but l
wish 1 had the principal here, 1 will
meet him when he pleases." He had ref
erence to Burr.
Then Richard Rikel and Robert Swart-
won't met on this ground, November 81,
1S03-the cause, political quarrel-Rlker
being a firm adherent of Hamilton, Swart-
wout a friend of Burr. Riker was severe
ly wounded in the right leg.
All these meetings were but preliminary
to the mortal combat, which soon follow
ed between Burr and Hamilton, the two
rival political chieftains of New York.
For five years their followers had met
and fought to settle their differences.
The leaders ct last met and then parted
Hamilton to 'the land o. silence and
reconciliation'-and Burr to become
wretched wanderer upon the earth until
his death, which occurred at Port Rich
mond House, Staten Island, September
Is, 1886.
Colonel Burr and Judge Van Ness, his
second, arrived at half-past six O'Clock in
the morning of July II, 1904, as had been
arranged.
They were clearing away the under
brush
WITH THEIR COATS OFF
when General Hamilton arrived, a few